What is the Gorilla Trek about?

The project is about experiencing everything the famous ‘Pearl of Africa’ has to offer whilst giving children their childhoods through play.

Dates and duration

7th June – 27th June (30th of June with Extension Trip)

5th – 25th July (28th July with Extension Trip)

2nd – 22nd August (25th August with Extension Trip)

30th August – 19st September (21st September with Extension Trip)

The project is 3 weeks long. The Gorilla Trek runs between June and September, above are the dates for the coming year. If you are from one of these Universities but cannot make the set date, please do not worry. You are also welcome on any other project date and we will make sure you are able to get to know your team beforehand through social media, if not in person. These dates are the dates you will be arriving and departing from Uganda itself and therefore flights will be organised accordingly.

Living conditions

Trekking

Whilst you are trekking, you will be journeying between various campsites, and sleeping in single-sex tents of four with foam flooring. The tents and your luggage will be taken between campsites by our support vehicle, meaning the campsite will be ready for you upon your arrival each evening.

You’ll be cooked for by a variety of host families along the way, experiencing the best of Uganda’s traditional foods as well as the delicacies of some of the country’s finest tourist hotspots, including the 5-star chameleon lodge.

Volunteering

Whilst volunteering, you will be living at the school. We ask the school to provide you with accommodation, so often it is an unused classroom, which we turn into a dorm room for you. This is most often in the form of mattresses on the floor, with mosquito nets over the top. This is basic but surprisingly comfortable, and after a hard day’s volunteering you’ll sleep better than you have in your life.

You’ll have a cook living with you who will provide your three meals a day plus a well earnt fruit break in the morning. She will cook for you a great mix of traditional Ugandan food but with a touch of food from home. On both the trek and the playground, the cooks are trained in dietary requirements and so can cater for everyone’s needs. The food in Uganda is fantastic, and often receives an 100% feedback rating from our volunteers upon the completion of their project!

General

The washing facilities are often a good old bucket shower in designated wash room and the toilets are often a long-drop. All of this adds to your experience, we would you to be able to experience and be part of local life in Uganda and so what better way than living within the community you are working with.

Trekking

You will be part of a group who will cover over 25 miles of Ugandan terrain over 5 days. You’ll experience every terrain the world has to offer. You’ll canoe across lakes, climb over mountains, trek through rainforest, and experience stunning scenery at every turn of the journey. The trek is tough, but manageable, with regular breaks taken throughout each day to ensure everyone is able to keep up – regardless of starting fitness level.

Gorilla Tracking

You’ll split into a group of no more than eight people, as you track your gorillas. This trek will make you feel like an intrepid explorer – your guide cutting through the jungle with a machete to find the easiest path to your goal. You’ll spend an hour in the company of the gentle giants, having a chance to snap a selfie and watch their weirdly human-like behaviour, and will definitely come away with some stories to tell.

Building a playground

You will be part of a team who transform an empty playing field into an incredible playground in less than seven days! You’ll be working alongside our skilled build team who will be guiding you every step of the way. Your daily tasks will range from digging foundation holes, mixing cement, bolting tyres together and painting too. You will never have been so proud of digging a hole, or have such in-depth conversations about a colour scheme of a playground before. Day by day you will see your playground go from a load of holes in the ground to a beautiful, colourful, exciting play space for children to enjoy for generations to come.

Playground opening

A day purely for celebration! The playground is finished, the children are excited and the community thankful. This is a day for the community to come together to appreciate your hard work. In true Ugandan style the day will be full of singing, dancing, speeches and heartfelt thanks. The children have been waiting for the playground to be finished for a long time so the anticipation of finally getting to play is simply overwhelming for them. Seeing the children play with such enthusiasm and excitement brings your whole journey together, really showing you the impact that you have made on a community, not just now but for generations to come.

Optional Activities

Rest Days

Whilst in Uganda, you’ll have 2 rest days, which you can fill with as many or as few activities as you’d like. These activities are all completely optional and do not need to be decided on until arrival in Uganda. This ensures the project is suitable for most budgets.

On these days, you can….

Jump on a horse and take a unique ride through a typical Ugandan village and a stunning section along the banks of the Nile, accommodating any ability, this is an experience for all.

Take a guided Quad Bike Safari into the heart of rural Uganda, visiting scenic places many tourists never get to see.

Leap over the source of the Nile from one of the most spectacular bungee jumping sites in the world, even having the offer to be dunked in the Nile itself

Take the mighty River Nile on in a raft of up to eight people or in a tandem kayak of two, where you’ll provide the strength and your guide will steer

Go on a sunset tour of the River Nile, kayaking through the source of the world famous river with a gin and tonic in hand and a smile on your face.

Regardless of which activities – if any – you choose, these rest days are bound to be full of laughs, and a source of some much needed rest!

Extension Trips

We offer three opportunities to extend your stay in the Pearl of Africa. These are completely optional, but all have rave reviews – so once you’ve decided if you’re doing one, you can book your flights and buckle up for an incredible extra weekend overseas.

The options are…

Option 1: Relax on the Nile.

To finish off your trip with us, why not spend three days discovering Uganda’s hidden paradise with our partners Kayak The Nile? Escape from engine noise and the usual tourist traps, kick back and relax on a gin and tonic sunset tour of the Source of the Nile. Then learn to stand up paddleboard and unwind on a private island with a book and a cold beer, or explore the island and the incredible wildlife it has to offer.

Option 2: High Adrenaline Adventure

Fancy a three-day adrenaline fuelled adventure to complete your trip to Uganda? Find out more from our partners Kayak The Nile now! You’ll learn to white water kayak, tackle some of the biggest white water the world has to offer in a tandem with one of our experienced guides. Then kick back in a hammock with a cold beer and sense of accomplishment on a serene private island in the middle of the river.

Option 3: Safari

Spend three more days getting to know the wildlife of Uganda, visiting a Rhino Sanctuary, taking a boat trip down Murchison Falls and driving through the beautiful national park. This three day animal adventure can't be beaten!

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The Gorilla Trek is the ultimate African adventure allowing you to explore, discover and develop the incredible country of Uganda. As an ethical, affordable trip, it’s what you need to have the summer of a lifetime.
Apply now! Don't miss out on your place

East African Playgrounds is a UK registered charity and international NGO, focused on East Africa, primarily Uganda. Children need to play to access their childhood, allowing them to gain all the developmental benefits that play has to offer giving them the tools for future success.

This incredible volunteering experience is just a fraction of the cost of most. Just because it is low cost does not mean it is low quality. We are able to provide our volunteering project at a reasonable price because we don't know have large overheads or work with third party providers who need to make profit. We aim to be transparent and accountable with where the money we receive goes.

It’s all about experiencing a new culture whilst giving children their childhoods through play. Weekdays volunteering at a school building a playground and weekends exploring the amazing activities on offer in Uganda. What's not to love!

I believe that every child deserves an opportunity to play, be active and have fun with their friends in a safe and friendly environment, and therefore I am taking part in the Gorilla Trek during August 2018!

To make sure you are bursting full of ideas and plans for your fundraising we have provided you with every resource you could possibly need. Have a read through all the documents below to make your fundraising is a breeze.

Uganda Volunteer Project is all about experiencing a new culture whilst giving children their childhoods through play. Weekdays volunteering at a school building a playground and weekends exploring the amazing activities on offer in Uganda. What's not to love!
Apply now! Don't miss out on your place.

Hi, my name is Megan and I will be volunteering with Eastern African Playgrounds in Uganda in the summer of 2018! In many communities across eastern Africa there is an absence of facilities in schools due to poverty and lack of funding. EAP aim to give the children of Uganda the opportunity to develop their creativity and improve their cognitive, social and emotional skills by building playgrounds for the children to engage in educational play. EAP have been installing these playgrounds througho